Mixed in to the ash and smoke released by a volcanic eruption are several gases, including water vapour, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. The sulphur dioxide can produce acid rain
downwind of the volcano, but if it gets high enough in the atmosphere —
into the stratosphere — chemical reactions there form extremely tiny
particles of sulphur, called aerosols. These highly-reflective sulphur aerosols can damage the stratospheric ozone layer,
and they absorb heat coming off the Earth, thus warming the
stratosphere, but at the same time, they reflect incoming sunlight back
into space, thus cooling the surface of the planet.

The
figures, which have triggered debate among climate scientists, reveal
that from the beginning of 1997 until August 2012, there was no
discernible rise in aggregate global temperatures.

This
means that the ‘plateau’ or ‘pause’ in global warming has now lasted
for about the same time as the previous period when temperatures rose,
1980 to 1996. Before that, temperatures had been stable or declining for
about 40 years.

And of course, the sea surface temperature and ocean heat content
reveal another reason: there hadn’t been a strong El Niño to release
monumental volumes of warm water from below the surface of the tropical
Pacific and shift up the sea surface temperatures of the Atlantic,
Indian and West Pacific Oceans.

Israel is on a locust alert as upwards of 30 million of the destructive
bugs descend on neighbouring Egypt ahead of the Passover holiday....

The locust alert comes ahead of the Passover festival, which recounts
the biblical story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. According to the
Bible, a plague of locusts was one of 10 plagues God imposed on
Egyptians for enslaving and abusing ancient Hebrews.

Libyan Islamists detained 48 Egyptian Christians in Benghazi last
week, torturing them and using acid to burn off tattoos of the cross,
according to family members.

The Christians, who are peddlers, were arrested by Islamist Salafists
in Benghazi, who said they had Christian icons at their marketplace
stalls, according to Mideast Christian News.
The men were later reportedly freed and await deportation, but their
family members back home told the Egyptian press they were abused while
held, initially on charges of proselytizing.